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Homecoming: Honoring Collections from Family Back Home
 | My great aunt worked for American Airlines for many years. The two photographs in the lower right were publicity shots taken by the airline for marketing materials.
|  |  | | Be sure to buy large enough embroidery hoops to accommodate all the fabric that will be tucked behind - usually 12 inches or larger. Roll the excess fabric around the edges and pin on the inside. A nail at the top and at the bottom will keep it in place. | |  | | Using things I already had around the house, this project cost about $1.50 - for the safety pins. Empty frames without glass can be found at flea markets for a few dollars. You can also use a pretty fabric or other netting in place of the screen. | |  | | Corn dryers were - and still are - used on the farm to dry out corn for preservation and for use as livestock feed. Today, they can be found in online auctions or antique shops for about $20, and can be used to hang belts, towels, jewelry, or, of course, teacups. |
Each year, I make at least one journey back to the Midwest to visit my family. Their farmland has been in the family for generations, and the old farmhouse, now occupied by my uncle, has stood there for over 150 years. Whenever I go back, my grandmother, knowing my insatiable interest in old family things, gives me a suitcase full of aprons, jewelry, photographs, kitchen utensils, or dishes, which, over the years, have accumulated in boxes or drawers to be treasured but not routinely enjoyed. This fall, before I go back home, I wanted to honor some of these collections by getting them out of their drawers and into the spotlight.
Over the years, I have received a number of incredible photographs from the 1940's through the 1960's of my grandmother and her sister. While some are large enough to place in individual frames, some were very small and oddly sized, and custom framing - even purchasing many standard-sized frames - can get expensive. Rather than attempt to frame them individually or use a typical pre-matted frame designed for many small photos, I layered them in a single frame to create a collage. I can switch them out as I acquire more, and eventually trade up for a larger frame.
I also have a collection of aprons that my grandmother wore years ago while cooking breakfast or dinner on the farm. Because my home is far from a country cottage style, I opted to contain the aprons while showcasing their unique details. Simple wooden embroidery hoops purchased for a few dollars at a craft store not only give the collection an uniform shape, but can be stained or painted to match existing wall colors or woodwork. For everything but the smallest napkins or child-sized aprons, be sure to use hoops that are at least ten or twelve inches in diameter, else the excess fabric tucked underneath will make it difficult to lay flat against the wall.
Like my mother and me, my grandmother collects Homer Laughlin china, mostly Fiesta, Harlequin, and Kitchen Kraft. Most of my Harlequin teacups belonged to my grandparents, and I've always wanted to find a unique way of displaying them rather than simply lining them up along a shelf. This antique corn dryer is sturdy enough that the hooks won't bend, and adds a unique farmhouse touch to the kitchen.
Growing up, I was close with my grandmother's sister - the one you see in the photo collage shown here. Last fall, my grandmother gave me some of her jewelry, and rather than keep it in a box, I finally decided to take out the pieces that most reminded me of her and put them on display. Using a simple picture frame, some window screen material, and some safety pins, I created a small homage to her and her impeccable taste.
If your collections are meaningful yet stowed away, take some time before the holidays to find creative ways to display them.
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